Mammoth Opening Weekend
Chapter 1: Monitor Pass
Our trip to Mammoth Mountain for Opening Weekend began with the enchanting drive through Monitor Pass on State Route 89. This is a high mountain pass in California that leads you from South Lake Tahoe to US 395 in the Eastern Sierra. It’s a long drive from San Francisco to Mammoth, but the landscapes are so colossal that I’d never pass it up. It was sunset when we reached the summit at Monitor Pass so we pulled over to snap some photos!
Chapter 2: Fun on Skis
Opening Weekend is a funny experience because only one run is open, but everyone is SO STOKED to be back on skis. Mammoth Mountain will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I competed in college and really took my skiing to the next level. It’s also where I met most of the friends that I ski with today. When we’re all back there together it’s an energizing and nostalgic experience that makes me so appreciative of the hours we’ve spent progressing in this sport, and the strong community that’s built around snowsports. I love skiing!!! All these shots are taken on a GoPro. We are all decked out in Oakley, because they make the best gear ever!
Chapter 3: Hot Springs
The Mammoth Hot Springs are another thing that makes this place so unique. There are tons of them scattered throughout the high desert terrain! But you have to know how to get to there. There might be some serious off-roading involved. I learned from friends over the years and I have my favorite spots now. There are few things more magical than sitting in the springs and staring out at the dramatic landscapes of the Eastern Sierra, or even better, watching some of the brightest stars you’ll ever see in California. 
Chapter 4: Night Life…Evidence was Destroyed.
Chapter 5. Return Trip featuring Leonids Meteor Shower
On our drive back to San Francisco something crazy happened! We were almost at the most remote part of the drive when we witnessed a huuuuuge meteor burn through the atmosphere. It was the longest, slowest-moving meteor I’ve ever seen. My first thought was that it was a plane or something because it seemed so close. When we got a bit of cell phone service I looked it up and found out it was the night of the Leonids Meteor Shower. We were driving through one of the darkest, most remote places in California on the night of the biggest meteor shower of the year! It was amazing. We pulled over near a meadow and took some shots of the sky. By the end of the drive we had seen about 8 meteors. (Photos by Abe Kislevitz)
